At 05:13 PM 2/8/2010, Clint Bradford wrote:
I read that article, and when I got to the last of it and he mentioned that he was using a pre-amp for working the FM birds, I wondered out loud: "Why???"
We're working '27, '50, and '51 with HTs and meager antenna improvements. Better yet, build a tape measure Yagi - you can realize great gain with about six bucks of parts. Note that I haven't mentioned, "Buy a pre-amp" anywhere. I was considering building one of those antennas mentioned in QST last month - until I read that he was using a pre-amp.
I'll just stick with what works for me ... home-brew or commercial Yagis ... a log periodic every now and then ... and no pre-amp anywhere.
Clint, K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I am the original author of the referenced e-mail.
I hope you noted that I am in Alaska, where it is not exactly nice wx in winter. I have a complete super tracking system of yagis that I used on AO-10/AO-40, but I thought ii would be nice to have a simple non-tracking antenna system for the "easy sats". The preamp makes the UHF Lindy work nearly equal with the high-price stuff...and much simpler.
The good news is that the Lindys work. They are not hard to make. They are as cheap as an Arrow. I believe it is equal or better than the M2 eggbeaters (and $400 cheaper). I paid $30 for my used DEMI preamp. It is equal to SSB or ARR preamps (new costs in between these two). ...and I do not have to stand outside at 10F to work the satellites ;-)
And I would guess that you note in my signature line that I do some other stuff in ham radio.
73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 500-KHz/CW, 144-MHz EME, 1296-MHz EME DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa@hotmail.com ======================================